SL-15
by Ashlee1
Summary: Total gush and mushyness, beware :) It's a responce to a story challenge


SL - 15  
  
By Ashlee  
  
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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to NBC. It's just that I like to play with them sometimes.  
  
Note: This story was written in like 45 minutes as a response to the Picture-Story-Challenge brought to us by the letter E, namely Emily Siazon. It just hit me and I started writing, so if you don't like it, blame it on that. This is a pre-pretender thing. A what-if Parker... Wait, I don't want to give it away so with out further adieu I present SL – 15.  
  
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Miss Parker ran hurriedly down the halls of SL- 15. No one was down here, this was the unused floor of the Centre, the one that she used for her personal getaway. This was the one place that lacked cameras and bugging devices, she'd had Broots, a new lab tech, make sure of that. She didn't even feel safe at home. No matter where she went they were watching. This was the one place she could be by herself, but this sublevel had more meaning than just that. This had been the place where she and Jarod would meet up for their little adventures. This is where they had shared their first 'serious' kiss. It wasn't the little peck on the cheek. No, this was one of passion, one of intensity. Parker slowly walked to the place that it had happened, in front of room 1547. She ran her fingers over the door, remembering the feelings that had ran over her, the feel of his warm lips gently touching hers, his hands running through her hair and down her back. She smiled softly. What she wouldn't give to go back and stay there forever. But that was against Centre policy, being with a 'project'.  
  
She came here whenever something was bothering her, her site of solace within this hellish place. She wiped a single tear off her face and leaned her head against the door. Everything was falling apart; her whole life was crumbling at her feet.  
  
"How could everything have changed so much?" She asked herself quietly as another sob ripped through her. She was trying desperately not to cry, like she had been taught, but there was so much anger, pain, frustration and sadness built up that there was nothing left to do but cry.  
  
Behind her, a door opened silently and a figure clothed all in black appeared.  
  
***  
  
Jarod was crawling through the air ducts of the Centre, led by Angelo. "Angel sad, miss friend, need friend, very sad."  
  
Jarod looked at Angelo then looked away. He never realized that Parker was hurting so much. He had been so focused on himself, on finding his family, on escaping that he had forgotten all about Parker. Well, not exactly forgot, more like had put out of his mind. He never saw her anymore, he wasn't allowed to and he knew that Mr. Parker discouraged his daughter from visiting lab rats like him. They had been separated and that was why he now felt free to leave. She no longer depended on him, or at least that's what he had thought until ten minutes ago when Angelo's head popped into his room telling him that Parker need him, that she was in their meeting place. So now he was on his way to help his friend, his first love and probably his only.  
  
***  
  
The dark clothed man moved closer to the crying woman and gently touched her shoulder. One arm was against the wall, and he was looking down at her so that when she turned she would see who he was. Parker would know that touch anywhere. She let out a small gasp and turned to look at him. A small smile crossed her face, and then she burst into tears and fell against him.  
  
"Oh, Jarod! Everything has gone so wrong!"  
  
"I know Parker, I know." He wrapped his arms around her and lowered his head so that it rested in her hair. After holding her for a few minutes he slowly lowered her so that they sat next to each other on the floor.  
  
"Tell me what's wrong." He said softly, his arm was still around her shoulder holding her protectively against him.  
  
She wiped at another tear and looked at him. "You know all those plans we made when we were little? How we were going to run away and see everything there was to see? We were going to visit the seven wonders and have houses in every country there was?"  
  
"Yeah, I remember."  
  
"Then, daddy forced me to go away, and everything changed. I became hard and unrelenting, distant and cold. All to impress him, to make him love me. But you know what?" She looked at him; a small smile played on her lips.  
  
"What?" He asked tenderly, his hand brushing back her silky auburn hair away from those gleaming blue eyes. He would do anything to take the pain out of those eyes.  
  
"I know that he is never going to love me for who I am, and I can't keep pretending that I'm this mean heartless bitch when I'm not." She turned to Jarod a pleading look in her eyes. She put her hand on his arm. "I'm not Jarod, you have to believe me, I'm not."  
  
"I know that Parker." He hugged her, then gently pulled her back so that she had to look into his eyes. "Don't you know that that mean Miss Parker facade can't fool me?" He smiled gently and wiped a tear off of her cheek. She smiled back.  
  
"I want out Jarod. Coming back here was the biggest mistake of my life." She leaned back against his chest.  
  
That's when Jarod realized that they could leave together, that all their plans could come true. "What if I told you we could leave right now, what would you say?"  
  
"You mean right now?" She asked astounded.  
  
"Yup, right now. We could leave this place forever; we'd never have to look back. We could accomplish everything we ever dreamed of!"  
  
She looked hesitant than smiled the innocent smile that he had seen on her face all those times just before they went exploring. "I would say 'lets blow this Popsicle stand'!"  
  
Jarod let out an excited yelp of laughter, stood, picked her up, swung her and then kissed her. Then he put her down and began to ramble excitedly. "This is going to be great! We're going to be able to travel all over and see all the wonders of the world and eat whatever we want! You know I read about this stuff called ice-cream, I can't wait to taste it!" He gave Parker a hug, and spun her around in his arms.  
  
"Jarod, it's going to be great, but first we have to get out of here. How are we going to do that?"  
  
"Right, right. I have it all planned, come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room that he had come out of.  
  
Up in the vent waiting for them was Angelo. He was smiling broadly. "Angel, Jarod, happy, going away. Follow Angelo."  
  
Jarod boosted Miss Parker into the air duct, then followed. They had to move fast to keep up with Angelo. By the time they reached their destination fifteen minutes later both were out of breath. Angelo pointed up to a cover and said, "Freedom." Then he turned to leave, but Miss Parker stopped him.  
  
Miss Parker gave Angelo a hug and said, "Thank you Angelo, thank you for everything." Jarod nodded.  
  
"Yeah, thanks Angelo."  
  
"Happy, all that matters." Angelo gave his goofy smile then left, crawling at top speed.  
  
Miss Parker looked at Jarod who had opened the cover and was motioning for her to go first. She smiled as she stuck her head out, and for the first time she saw the beauty of the flowers and the sun, her first taste of real freedom.  
  
Miss Parker finally climbed out and Jarod followed. He looked around in astonishment, and a smile slowly spread across his face as he spun in a slow circle in order to see everything. The sun felt so good, and the green grass was the perfect canvas for the multicolored flowers that blanketed the field.  
  
"This is so, so beyond words." He said as he looked wide-eyed at Parker.  
  
"I know." She breathed.  
  
After over coming their initial shock they ran into the woods, free of the Centre forever, or so they thought.  
  
***  
  
Epilogue (For those who crave closure, like me)  
  
Well, Miss Parker and Jarod aren't exactly free of the Centre. The Centre ends up chasing them for a while, that is until Jarod convinces Sydney to leave. Sydney, who had become close friends with Broots, convinces Broots to grab his daughter and come with him. So after a year Miss Parker, Jarod, Sydney, Broots, and Debbie are all living free of the Centre, because without the contact from Jarod they have no hope of catching him. Miss P. and Jarod eventually get married and have some kids, but not before seeing the wonders of the world.  
  
Mushy, yeah I know, but besides that what did you think? Write and tell me, I crave feedback merriman_peldon@hotmail.com 


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